Interview with Hazel Nunn, November 19, 1993

Partial Transcript: Testing, one, two, three, four.

Segment Synopsis: Hazel Nunn talks about her birth, parents, and siblings. She describes her marriage, noting the names of her husband and children.

Keywords: Great Depression; Lee County (Va.); Marriage; Parents; Siblings

Subjects: Depressions--1929; Lee County (Va.)

Partial Transcript: What, what was it like, uh, what was it like growing up in uh--you grew up in Lee County?

Segment Synopsis: Nunn talks about growing up in Lee County (Va.), and her love for horse riding. He describes her move to Harlan County (Ky.) after her marriage to a coal miner. Her husband worked for various coal companies for 34 years.

Keywords: Blue Diamond Coal Company; Coal camps; Coxton (Ky.); Farms; Harlan County (Ky.); Horses; Lee County (Va.); Miners; Mining companies; Riding horses

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal miners' spouses; Lee County (Va.)

Partial Transcript: What was it like growing up and raising kids in the Depression?

Segment Synopsis: Nunn describes her experience of the Great Depression and how families supported each other during that time. She also talks about her difficult experience of being a coal miner's wife. She describes some good memories from the 1930s, particularly the changes in her financial conditions after Franklin D. Roosevelt became president. She briefly describes the social life in the coal camps.

Keywords: Depression--1929; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Great Depression; Life in coal camps; Memories; Miner's spouse; Mining deaths

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal miners' spouses; Depressions--1929; Depressions--1929--Kentucky; Harlan County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Um, how did, how did people--you, you were in the coal camps, how did people feel about coal mining in general and about the companies and what were their feelings?

Segment Synopsis: Nunn describes her opinion of the coal companies -- some were good, others not. She thinks that coal mining in general was good because that is all they had in terms of jobs.

Keywords: Coal companies; Coal industry; Coal miners; Floods; Ghost towns; Mountains

Subjects: Blue Diamond Coal Company; Employment--Kentucky; Strip mining

Partial Transcript: What was it like--one of the things we don't have in the interviews is what was it--what was the social life like for women?

Segment Synopsis: Nunn talks about social life in the coal camps - mostly consisting of attending churches. On weekends she played cards. She notes how after her husband's death she was supported financially by his pensions, social security, and health insurance coverage.

Keywords: Baptist churches; Churches; Health care; Health insurance; Pensions; Playing cards; Social life in coal camps; Social security; Spouse's death; Unions; Women in coal camps

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Coal miners' spouses; Coal miners--Labor unions; Coal miners--Labor unions--Kentucky; Labor unions

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about the union.

Segment Synopsis: Nunn describes her husband's involvement in a coal workers' union. She recounts how Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency had an impact on the labor unions. She mentions the role women (wives of coal miners) played in supporting their spouses during strikes and picketing.

Keywords: Benefits of coal workers labor union; Changes brought about by coal workers unions; Changes brought about by labor unions; Coal miner's wife; Coal miners unions; Coal miners' union strikes; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Hospital cards; Origin of labor unions; Pensions; Picket lines; Spouse's role in labor unions; Strikes; Union dues; Women involvement in labor unions; Women's role in labor union strikes; Working conditions; Working conditions in coal mines

Subjects: Coal miners' spouses; Coal miners--Labor unions; Coal miners--Labor unions--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945; Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining; Work environment

Partial Transcript: You're--since you're, since you are an older person now and, and you were talking about your insurance card, uh, talk a little bit about the insurance coverage.

Segment Synopsis: Nunn describes the benefits of her hospital card (or health insurance coverage). She talks about the changes in this coverage over the years. She remembers how health care worked in coal camps, particularly the doctor's fee for childbirth.

Keywords: Doctor's fee in coal camps; Healthcare; Hospitals; Insurance cards; Insurance coverage; Women's health care costs

Subjects: Medical care; Medical care, Cost of; Medical care--Kentucky--History

Partial Transcript: If you had a chance to sum up your life all in one or two sentences, just one if you had, one thing you'd like to say to the world, what would you like to say to the world?

Segment Synopsis: Nunn makes some concluding statements in her interview, reflecting on her whole life. She also mentions the way society has changed from the time when she was younger.

Keywords: Changes in social life; Children; Good life; Neighbors

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions